The Secret Garden

An extract from

The Secret Garden

by Frances Hodgson Burnett

It was while she was standing here and just after she had said

this that the stillness was broken by a sound. It was another cry, but

not quite like the one she had heard last night; it was only a short one,

a fretful, childish whine muffled by passing through walls.

“It's nearer than it was," said Mary, her heart beating rather

faster. “And it is crying.”

She put her hand accidentally upon the tapestry near her, and

then sprang back, feeling quite startled. The tapestry was the

covering of a door which fell open and showed her that there was

another part of the corridor behind it, and Mrs Medlock was coming

up it with her bunch of keys in her hand and a very cross look on her

face.

“What are you doing here?” she said, and she took Mary by the

arm and pulled her away. “What did I tell you?”

“I turned round the wrong corner,”

explained Mary. “I didn't know which

way to go and I heard someone crying.”